Let's do it again
by coultharddd
Summary: Sometimes things are so good the first time you just have to do them again Pure Fluff


**AN: **Just a pure fluff one shot to help mend our broken hearts! Hopefully this makes up for all the heartbreak in Hold my girl! Enjoy.

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**Let's do it again**

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Elizabeth's eyes slowly adjusted to the sunlight that penetrated through the gap in the curtains. She turned away from the light towards Henry's side of the bed; she outstretched her hand to hold him, but to her surprise his side of the bed was empty. She sat up and checked the clock, 6am. _Where is he?_ She thought as she moved her hair from her face and swung her legs from under the covers and made her way downstairs. She smiled to herself as she descended the stairs, the realisation of what day it was hit her and she became a little excited

'Henry' she called. No response.

'Henry?' she repeated as she stepped into the kitchen, through to the lounge and their offices. As she walked back into the kitchen she headed for the coffee machine and something caught her eye. It was a small piece of mauve paper, folded up and stuck to the side of the counter, her name written across the centre in Henry's handwriting 'Elizabeth', she carefully lifted it up and inquisitively opened it up

_Elizabeth _

_Sorry I __**h**__ad to leave early,_

_Really needed to sort some things out,_

_Might see you __**a**__t the White House later _

_Henry x_

Elizabeth smiled at the note but her brow furrowed in confusion, he never did anything like this. She curiously stared at the letter, two of the individual letters stood out to her. 'H & A' he had doubled over them a few times with the black ink, making them darker and bolder than the rest. Thinking nothing of it other than assuming the pen was running out. She put the note back on the side and went to have a shower.

Once upstairs and the shower on she rid herself of her clothes and stepped inside allowing the warm water to rush over her body. She reached over to the corner to grab the bottle of her favourite sweet smelling shampoo; she frowned as she was met by a small pink post-it note stuck to the front. Trying to not get it wet, Elizabeth read the note.

_'__Don't be mad_

_I __kind of used all your sham__**p**__oo_

_Sorry! I will buy you some more! _

_Xx_

There it was again, a note from Henry with an individual letter darker than the rest. , Elizabeth sighed, failing to get even a few drops out of the bottle of shampoo. Slightly annoyed she threw the bottle out of the shower towards the bin, she then took the post-it note and putting it on the towel. She quickly used some of Henry's shampoo, groaning as she disliked the smell but figuring it'd have to do for today.

After getting ready for work Elizabeth decided to grab the note from the towel and put it in her pocket. If anyone asked her why she smelt like a man she would show them the note she thought. As she walked downstairs she made herself a coffee and looked at the first note she found. She decided to take it with her, so slipped it into her pocket with the other. The house was empty, all kids either still asleep or already left she sighed and decided to head into work early, she walked towards the fridge before leaving the house to grab a snack in an attempt to make her feel better. After no Henry and no shampoo Elizabeth already wasn't in the best of moods.

There on the front of the fridge was yet another post-it note.

"Henry McCord… what on Earth are you playing at?" She exhaled. It was then realised then that to Henry this was probably one big game. Oh how he always loved to tease her and wind her up – which was the exact impact this 'game' had on her.

_Ahhhh no!_

_We've run out of milk _

_I worked out that dry cereal is __**p**__robabl__**y**__ worse than black coffee! _

_Good job you like your first coffee of the day black, otherwise I'm sure you'd be cursing me right now. _

_Xx_

"Cheeky..." Elizabeth muttered under her breath as she took the note from the fridge, placing it in her pocket along with the rest. If she was going to have a go at him she needed the evidence she thought to herself. This was certainly not how Elizabeth had planned on spending their Twenty-Ninth wedding anniversary morning. She was now incredibly wound up and decided to just leave for work in search of a bear claw or three. Fifteen minutes later Elizabeth's motorcade pulled up outside the state department and she headed inside towards the lift. As the bell chimed to signal she had reached the seventh floor she stepped out and was immediately greeted by Blake and a coffee.

He took one look at her and stepped back

'Feed me' She practically ordered

'There is food in the meeting room already' he replied instantly

'Bear claws?' She raised an eyebrow headed towards the meeting room, she walked inside and the smell of fresh baked pastries hit her nose. She walked over to the selection and sighed when she realised there were no bear claws left. Turning on her heels and tilting her head slightly to the right she surveyed her staff

'Who took it?' She demanded, placing her bag down on the table in front of her. All the staff looked at her but did not respond. Elizabeth watched all their mannerisms,_ who is nervous?_ She thought to herself, being ex CIA did come in handy at times. She took a few steps forward and looked up to Matt. He dipped his head in shame

'Sorry Ma'am' Elizabeth rolled her eyes and huffed at him before taking her position at the table. She was handed a file by Nadine and immediately cursed as she opened it up; there on the first page was another note.

_Eliz__**a**__beth, I am __**n**__ot at the white house yet._

_I am sorry – something has take__**n**__ longer than expected. _

_I will hopefully be back in time for the morning meeting. _

_See you soon _

_Henry _

_X _

She scrunched it up and shoved it in her pocket. She was annoyed at Henry now; his 'game' did not impress her. She re-directed her attention back to the staff and the current crisis they were attempting to resolve.

'Excuse me Ma'am you're needed at the white house' Blake alerted her. She glanced at her watch and sighed as she had still not heard from Henry, at least not in the way she hoped. She got up and headed towards her motorcade towards the white house. Elizabeth decided to stop by Henry's office, since he had been appointed Ethical advisor to the President she had not visited his office so decided now was a better time than ever. As she strode down the corridor she reached his room but was surprised to find it empty; except for a single red rose laid on the desk, again with a post it note.

She walked over and picked it up; she inhaled the scent of the fresh flower before casting her eyes over the next note.

'_Elizabeth, _

_I wonder how long __**i**__t took you to come to my office…_

_Missing me?_

_Ha__**ve**__n't you wo__**r**__ked it out yet?_

_You'll find out __**s**__oon_

_Henry _

_Xx_

Elizabeth picked up the rose and the note and headed towards the oval office. She felt a little better that Henry had made some form of an effort but she was getting impatient with his little game and it was frustrating her increasingly. She entered the oval office rose in hand; thankfully it was just Conrad and Russell present.

'I didn't know we brought gifts now' Russell mocked

'Oh urm... I urh...'she stuttered as her cheeks flushed, _did I really just bring a rose to the president's office_

'Henry really does love you' Conrad winked and walked from behind his desk

'How did you know?' She instantly replied but Conrad smirked at her. She inwardly sighed in frustration. She really was getting to the end of her tether.

When she had returned to the state department she headed straight for her office, determined to give Henry a call and find out exactly what was going on. She sat down at her desk and placed her head in her hands, taking a moment to breathe. She just couldn't fathom what Henry was getting up too. She sighed to herself for what felt like the hundredth time that day, as she reached for the phone on her desk. As she picked it up she noticed another note folded onto the handset. Immediately resting the phone back down she picked up the post it note, unravelled it and began to read.

_Elizabeth _

_For an ex-CIA agent I thought you would have cracked this by now. _

_I'm going to h__**a**__ve to give you a clue a__**r**__en't I? Why do I keep going over random letters?_

_When you've finall__**y**__ worked that one out, you'll need to find a certain assistant of yours. _

_I'm guessing you're getting impatient by now – so get a move on. _

_Henry_

_Xx_

Elizabeth read, and re-read and re-read the note. Something was not making sense, until she had a thought. She reached into her pocket and grabbed all the notes from the day, displaying them over her desk in the order she collected them. She reached for a pen and a plain piece of paper and began to scribble down the letters he had doubled over on. – She finally understood.

**_Happy Anniversary_**

Her mood instantly changed, a smile appeared on her face and her heart swelled.

'You old romantic' she laughed to herself. He hadn't forgotten after all. She quickly gathered the notes and placed them in her pocket once more as she headed out of her office in pursuit of Blake. She looked around frantically when she realised he wasn't at his desk.

'He's already gone, we thought you'd have gotten it a lot sooner than now' Matt chuckled. She turned to look up at her staff; Matt, Jay and Kat, all stood with matching grins beaming at her.

"What? You know?" She asked. Today had been one of the most confusing days of her life by far. Nothing seemed to make sense, and she worked for the government so that said a lot.

"Of course we did! And so did Russell and the President. How do you think Henry got those notes everywhere without anyone moving them?' Kat chuckled. She then reached into her inside pocket, pulled out one last note and handed it to Elizabeth before ushering her towards the lift and out of state.

"Now off you go. We got it covered' Jay laughed at the confusion on his boss's face. The three of them walked off quickly before they were interrogated, leaving her waiting for the lift, note in hand.

_I take it you've worked it out then._

_Now this is the last note – Blake will be with you after this one _

_So get yourself home and get changed – Alison is ready to tell you what to wear. _

_I Love you, and happy anniversary_

_Henry_

_Xx_

Elizabeth smiled as she stepped into her motorcade. She desperately wanted to tell Matt to put his foot down and get her home quicker. Her heart was dancing as the butterflies grew in her stomach. Watching her home appear in the distance she sat forward on her seat, when Matt began to pull to a stop she flung the door open and dashed inside her family home. The door swung open and Alison was stood waiting for her

"I take it you're in on this one too?" She questioned

Alison nodded. "You've got it. Now, you've got about 1 hour to get ready. Go straight upstairs and have a shower. I'll lay some things out on your bed for you – we have a very strict dress code." She smirked

Without asking any questions, Elizabeth dropped her bag in the hallway and quickly made her way up into the bedroom and straight into the bathroom when she realised something

"Noodle I've got no…" She was cut short as Alison appeared, holding a bottle of her mother's favourite shampoo.

"Dad said sorry' she laughed and handed her the shampoo bottle. She then headed into her mother's wardrobe. She pulled out a dress from right at the back of the wardrobe, one she had never seen before. She admired the silk fabric, spaghetti straps and a low drop back red dress that would cling to her mother's figure perfectly. She then retrieved a black clutch bag and some black strappy heels to match. Heading to her mother's dressing table she picked up a silver necklace and her silver bracelet that her father had brought a few birthdays ago. She lay all items on the bed and left the room.

Elizabeth emerged from the shower about thirty minutes later and immediately grimaced at what Alison had laid out on her bed. She hadn't worn that dress since their tenth wedding anniversary, she was twenty years younger and had a better figure then she thought. She screwed up her face reluctant to slip it on.

'You don't have time to argue with me' Alison called from the door way

'Oh Noodle this dress is too young for me, I am the secretary of state I cannot wear a silky red dress anymore' She sighed and ran her fingers through her wet hair

'Of course you can, just because you're successful doesn't mean you cannot be sexy mom' She argued and held up the dress – 'Put it on' she ordered. Elizabeth hesitantly took the dress from her daughters hands turned towards the bathroom and stopped looking back at Alison

'I can't wear underwear in this dress; I have to find something else'

'Mom, as much as I hate to even entertain the thought dad has seen you naked, and I am sure he isn't going to mind...that makes me feel sick, now put it on please' she waved her off into the bathroom, slipped on the dress and stepping back out for Alison's approval.

"Mom… you look amazing, now sit, let's do your hair and make-up' Ali decided to get on with it and not give her mother time to complain or change her mind about the way she looked. She really did look sensational. As the time drew closer Ali was putting the final touches to her hair; she had completed a simple natural look for her make-up and straightened her mother's hair allowing it to flow down the open backed dress, stopping just after her shoulders.

It was only when Elizabeth stood up and checked herself in the mirror that she realised Alison was also dressed up; with a dress and heels and her hair in a simple up-do.

'Why are you dressed up too?' she raised her eyebrow at her daughter

'Because you and dad have three kids now, Jason and Stevie are downstairs waiting, come on' she pressured her mother into leaving. As Elizabeth headed down the stairs the compliments from Stevie poured out, even Jason admitted that she looked good. Both were also dressed up to the nines and ready to head out.

Elizabeth stepped outside and Matt was waiting ready to drive the McCord's to their destination.

'This is for you Ma'am' Matt handed her a small box – 'But I have been advised you're not to open it until you're in the car' He warned her giving her a stern look. The kids all climbed inside and Elizabeth followed. She laughed a little nervously as she had no idea what was going on, she wanted to interrogate her kids but she also quiet enjoyed the idea of being surprised.

She ran her fingers of the little oblong shaped box in her hand –

"Open it then," Stevie said excitedly. Elizabeth laughed and nodded, she then opened the lid and a small piece of purple paper fell out. Another note. She read this one out loud to her kids;

_Ok, so I lied; it wasn't the last note_

_But this one is. _

_You'll find out what today has been about soon enough Elizabeth_

_I Love you _

_Xx_

Elizabeth felt her eyes well with tears, she swallowed hard in an attempt to get rid of them and not ruin her make-up. She watched as the motorcade pulled up on the side of the road, she instantly recognised where they were.

Elizabeth stepped out of the car with the children and looked around. They were stood outside a restaurant close to the white house. It was rated as one of the top restaurants in the whole of DC, it was very posh and the epitome of romantic inside. Elizabeth felt her stomach turn. She suddenly felt nervous. The restaurant was busy, she was in a silk dress and the secretary of state, and she would be recognised. She breathed out steadily as Stevie scooped an arm inside hers and walked her inside.

As they all walked into the hallway, staring absentmindedly at the ceiling and light fittings that were decorated to the highest quality. A waiter came up to them, and asked for their names.

"Err… McCord, Mrs McCord." Elizabeth said, still in a daze from the beauty around her, but cautious not to give her first name away.

The waiter muttered in Italian before taking them over to a large round table in the corner. Everyone was looking at her as she walked past; it was DC of course people recognised her. She put her head down and walked straight. As she got to the table she looked up and was confused. Sitting at the table already was all her staff, Matt, Jay, Daisy, Kat, Blake, Russell, Mike B, Nina and... Henry. Jason cleared his throat to alert everyone that they were here.

'Oh wow' the girls gasped as they looked at their boss. Henry stood and walked over to Elizabeth taking her hands. He leant in and kissed her on the lips softly. Just a light kiss, he knew she would be feeling the pressure from everyone around. Henry was dressed up also; a Royal blue suit with a crisp white shirt and tie. His aftershave danced around Elizabeth's senses as he stood close to her.

"Now that I'm here Henry McCord, I think you need to explain." Elizabeth smirked

"My pleasure Elizabeth, but first can I just say – you look sensational, I haven't seen that dress in a long time, it still looks just as good, if not better" he grinned.

"Nice try!" she raised an eyebrow at him causing everyone around them to laugh. The laughter attracted the attention of on-lookers and soon the humming of people chattering around them began to fade. Elizabeth was very aware all eyes were now on her and Henry and she glared at him, begging him to do something.

"Maybe this will explain the secrecy and why I needed most of you staff and the kids to help me…" suddenly he dropped to one knee

"Henry, what are you doing?" She hissed in a whisper. "Get up."

Producing a small box from his pocket, he opened it and put it towards her. In it lay a small dainty ring, with diamonds that decorated the front of it. Next to the ring was a piece of pink paper. Another note. She slowly picked it up, still feeling her cheeks burning. She turned it over and quite plainly it read,

_Mar Me El'ibet...again_

Elizabeth let a small sob escape her mouth. She looked down at Henry and smiled

"Yes Hank! I will marry you!" she laughed. Henry stood up, slipped the ring onto her finger and wrapped his arms around her. The restaurant erupted with applause, cameras flashed and wolf whistles were shared. Elizabeth shook her head as her cheeks continued to flush

'I love you Henry McCord'

'I love you too Elizabeth, so much so that I want to marry you all over again' He smiled.


End file.
